The present disclosure relates to a device for mounting solar panels. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a device for mounting solar panels, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) or solar thermal panels, to rooftop mounted rails.
Solar panels can be mounted to various types of roof structures, such as pitched shingle, tile, metal, or concrete roofs with rails. For pitched roofs that are rectangular shaped, the rails are often mounted along the length of the roof. The solar panels are generally mounted to the rails along an edge perpendicular to the rails. In addition, it is desirable, and often required by local building codes, to electrically ground the solar panels to the rails.
Aligning and mounting the solar panels to the rails and then assuring that they are properly grounded can often be labor intensive and time consuming. It is therefore desirable for a device that secures, aligns, and grounds the solar panels to the rails that is simple and efficient.